Scrum.org Community Podcast Turning Project Chaos into Strategic Focus with Product Portfolio Thinking
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Jan 8, 2026 Nabila Sattar Safdar, a Professional Scrum Trainer and expert in product portfolio management, shares her journey of transforming chaotic project environments into streamlined, value-driven strategies. She discusses successfully reducing a bloated portfolio from over 100 projects to just 30 strategic initiatives. Nabila emphasizes the importance of aligning teams with value streams, leveraging data for decision-making, and reserving team capacity for continuous learning. Her insights highlight how effective collaboration with leadership enhances organizational agility and focus on outcomes.
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From 100+ Projects To 30 Strategic Initiatives
- Nabila described inheriting 100+ projects and narrowing them to ~30 strategic initiatives aligned to value streams.
- She reorganized teams into six-seven groups and prioritized product mindset and learning over one-off projects.
Run Portfolio Change As A Time-Boxed Experiment
- Propose portfolio change as a time-boxed experiment and partner with a steering committee.
- Use the experiment to learn together and avoid making decisions in a vacuum.
Measure The Innovation Triangle Not Just Revenue
- Evidence includes people, technology, and economics, not just customer metrics.
- Nabila used this innovation triangle to align metrics inward from customer outcomes.